Check valve for pump or the like

ABSTRACT

A check valve for a sump pump having a hollow cylindrical intake with ports therethrough, wherein a hollow half-toroid has one side sealed to the intake above or below the ports, a part of the half-toroid and/or an additional part forming an annular flexible lip to seal with the opposite side of the ports, the lip forming a check valve at its location to prevent fluid inside the cylinder from leaking out thereof through the ports.

United States Patent [191 Fries [451 May 21, 1974 CHECK VALVE FOR PUMP OR THE LIKE [75] Inventor: Hjalmar Elias Fries, Spanga,

' Sweden [73] Assignee: International Standard Electric Corporation, New York, N.Y.

22 Filed: 'Jan. 24, 1973 {-2 Appl. 'No.': 326,437

[30] A """iiieign Application Priority Data [58] Field of Search 417/566; 137/525, 525.1, 137/5253, 525.5

[56] I References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,029,742 4/1962 Curtis 417/566 X 3,527,551 9/1970 Kutik et a1. 417/566 X FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 1,254,904 1/1961 France 417/566 557,118 5/1957 Belgium ..137/525.3

Primary Examiner-William L. F reeh Assistant Examiner-Leonard Smith Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Thomas L. Peterson s71 ABSTRACT v A check valve for a sump pump having a hollow cylindrical intake with ports therethrough, wherein a ho1-,

low half-toroid has one side sealed to the intake above I or below the ports, a part of. the half-toroid and/or an additional part forming an annular flexible lip to seal with the opposite side of the ports, the lip forming a check valve at its location to prevent fluid inside the cylinder from Ieaking out thereof through "the ports;

6 Claims, 8 Drawing Figures lOb PATENTEDMY 21 m4 3131 1; 469

sum 20F 3 PATENTEDMAYZI i974 v V 3811469 SHEET 3 BF 3 F/GB.

CHECK VALVE FOR PUMP OR THE LIKE.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the invention, any air intake is prevented down to an essentially lower level than the ones conventional pumps are built for. This is brought about by providing the pump with a check valve. Then the intake may be only a millimeter or so above the floor. When the suction stops, a lip seals immediately so that the water in the outlet and in the pump cannot flow back. The pump can be stopped and the water in it and in its outlet pipes can be transported with the pump. The check valve is also arranged so that even the water behind the filter at the lower side of the pump does not flow out.

The above-described and other advantages of the present invention will be better understood from the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the drawings which are to be regarded as merely illustrative:

FIG. 1 is a somewhat schematic illustration ofa combination sump pump and check valve constructed in accordance with the present invention, with the lower end of the intake of the pump incorporating the check valve shown in enlarged vertical section; and

FIGS. 2-8 show different embodiments of the check valve.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS In FIG. 1, a sump pump, shown schematically at 10, includes an intake a and outlet 10b. The pump intake 10a is in the form of an upright hollow cylinder .14. Inlet ports ll. 12, and 13 are formed in the wall of the cylinder 14 immediately above its lower end. A flat rigid plate 15 seals off the flat lower end of cylinder 14, Le. it provides a fluid tight seal therewith.

A rubber, more or less hollow half-toroid 16 has a fluid tight seal around the exterior of cylinder 14 above ports ll, 12 and I3. Half-toroid 16 has an annular lip 17 which bears against a lip 18 of plate 15 to act as a check valve.

During pumping, the lip 17 folds inwards and upwards and leaves a gap so that the water may flow in.

through the inlet openings ll, 12 and 1,3 of the pump. When the pump stops, the lip'l7 returns to its sealing position against the plate 15.

Of course. many other embodiments of the present invention are possible. Thus, FIG. 2 shows an embodiment where a circular disc I9 is manufactured of resilient material while a half-toroid 20, which surrounds the lower part of the pump, are manufactured ofa rigid material.

Another embodiment is shown in FIG. 3. This differs from the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 in that disc 21,

as well as a half-toroid 22, are both made of a resilient material.

In FIG. 4, another embodiment is shown; Principally it differs from the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 in that the lip 23 of half-toroid 24 has been made resilient.

In FIG. 5 is shown how it is possible to prevent a lip 25 from getting sucked to a bed 26 while aided by small projections 27.

In FIG. 6 is shown how it is possible to use a pumps bed 28 as a seat instead of a circular disc. The power to suck up the water down to a low level is then obtained without any disc mounted on the pump. However, a condition for this arrangement is that the value be able to function as a non-return valve, i.e., the lifting force on the pump must be less than the weight of the pump and the pipes. The lifting force is the area (the area of the floor limited by the lip) multiplied by the water pressure within the valve when the pump does not work.

In FIG. 7, an embodiment is shown where a part 11 below the inlet openings of the pump is used as a valve seat. A lip 29 is then formed so that it bends another 90 compared to the embodiment shown in FIG. 1.

In FIG. 8, finally, an embodiment is shown where the valve is placed on the inside of the pump inlet.

Several different combinations of the embodiments shown in FIGS. l.8 are possible. However, it is preferable to form the valve so that it mainly surrounds the filter openings of the pump in order to get the best function. If the pump is placed at a high level and has a long intake pipe, the check valve should be. arranged on the lower end of the latter.

What is claimed is:

l. A sump pump or the like comprising: a housing having an intake and an outlet, said intake including an upright hollow cylinder having a substantially flat lower end and inlet ports extending through the wall of said cylinder immediately above said lower end;

a substantially flat structure closing said lower end of said cylinder in a fluid tight manner; an annular-resilient flap attached to said flat structure and extending radially outwardly therefrom; a relatively rigid body having the general configuration of a half toroid surrounding said cylinder at said inlet ports, said half toroid being open at its inner perimeter to define a circular cavity opening inwardly to said inlet ports and also defining upper and lower edges, said upper edge being located above said inlet ports and said lower edge being located below said inlet ports and said flap, said flap sealingly engaging the upper surface of said lower edge; and said flap being movable generally upwardly during operation of said pump toallow liquid to flow from outside said pump into the interior of said cylinder via said cavity and said inlet ports, and upon cessation of operation of said pump fluid pressure within said cylinder acting upon said flap to effect a seal of said 'flap with said lower edge. 2. A sump pump or the like comprising:

a housing having an intake and an outlet, said intake including an upright hollow cylinder means having a substantially flat lower end and inlet ports extending through the wall of said cylinder means imsaid flap being movable generally upwardly during operation of the pump to allow liquid to flow from outside the pump into the interior of said cylinder means via said cavity and said inlet ports, and upon cessation of operation of said pump fluid pressure within said cylinder means acting upon said flap to effect a seal of said peripheral portion thereof with said one means.

3. The invention as defined in claim 2, wherein said body is made of an elastic material, said flat structure means including an annular projection at said lower end of said cylinder means, said flap being integral with said body and being biased against the upper surface of said annular projection.

4. The invention as defined in claim 2, wherein said body and said flap are integral and together form a half 'toroid open at its inner perimeter to define said, cavity and upper and lower edges, said upper and lower edges being located above and below said ports, respectively.

5. The invention as defined in claim 2, wherein said flat structure means extends radially outwardly beyond the perimeter of said cylinder'means; and said peripheral portion of said flap engages said flap structure means.

6. The invention as defined in claim 2, wherein said one means engaged by said flap is said cylinder means. 

1. A sump pump or the like comprising: a housing having an intake and an outlet, said intake including an upright hollow cylinder having a substantially flat lower end and inlet ports extending through the wall of said cylinder immediately above said lower end; a substantially flat structure closing said lower end of said cylinder in a fluid tight manner; an annular resilient flap attached to said flat structure and extending radially outwardly therefrom; a relatively rigid body having the general configuration of a half toroid surrounding said cylinder at said inlet ports, said half toroid being open at its inner perimeter to define a circular cavity opening inwardly to said inlet ports and also defining upper and lower edges, said upper edge being located above said inlet ports and said lower edge being located below said inlet ports and said flap, said flap sealingly engaging the upper surface of said lower edge; and said flap being movable generally upwardly during operation of said pump to allow liquid to flow from outside said pump into the interior of said cylinder via said cavity and said inlet ports, and upon cessation of operation of said pump fluid pressure within said cylinder acting upon said flap to effect a seal of said flap with said lower edge.
 2. A sump pump or the like comprising: a housing having an intake and an outlet, said intake including an upright hollow cylinder means having a substantially flat lower end and inlet ports extending through the wall of said cylinder means immediately above said lower end; a substantially flat structure means closing said lower end of said cylinder means in a fluid tight manner; an annular body sealed around the exterior of said cylinder means at a vertical location on the upper side of said inlet ports; an annular resilient flap attached to said annular body at a location spaced from said cylinder means and having a free peripheral portion sealingly engaging one of said means below said inlet ports; said body and flap defining a circular cavity outside said cylinder means opening inwardly to said inlet ports; and said flap being movable generally upwardly during operation of the pump to allow liquid to flow from outside the pump into the interior of said cylinder means via said cavity and said inlet ports, and upon cessation of operation of said pump fluid pressure within said cylinder means acting upon said flap to effect a seal of said peripheral portion thereof with said one means.
 3. The invention as defined in claim 2, wherein said body is made of an elastic material, said flat structure means including an annular projection at said lower end of said cylinder means, said flap being integral with said body and being biased against the upper surface of said annular projection.
 4. The invention as defined in claim 2, wherein said body and said flap are integral and together form a half toroid open at its inner perimeter to define said cavity and upper and lower edges, said upper and lower edges being located above and below said ports, respectively.
 5. The invention as defined in claim 2, wherein said flat structure means extends radially outwardly beyond the perimeter of said cylinder means, and said peripheral portion of said flap engages said flap structure means.
 6. The invention as defined in claim 2, wherein said one means engaged by said flap is said cylinder means. 